In nearly five years of consistent publishing, SystematicHR has become the preferred information source for a generation of HR Information Systems people. With a body of nearly 900 articles and 2,200 literate comments, there is no other authoritative discussion on the subject. It is, as the tagline suggests, the intersection between HR Strategy and HR Technology.

Unlike the fluffier stuff delivered by the latest round of micro-celebrities furiously spending their fifteen minutes of fame, SystematicHR has a quiet, studious tone. Author Wes Wu has preferred to keep his personality on the side and focus on the issues. Most readers only know him as Dub Dubs. If you’re hoping to find another breathy view of the HR trade, look elsewhere.

Influence is something you can build with focus, dedication and clarity. In the five years that he has been publishing SystematicHR, Wes has emerged from obscurity to become the preeminent voice in the detailed work of HR Systems integration and implementation. It’s the same universe that Elaine Orler and Naomi Bloom occupy. Really great execution requires simultaneous attention to minutia and the big picture.

The people who occupy the heart of the HR Technology world are not big picture HR Theorists. They are IT specialists and systems designers. Without real clarity and consistency from them, the big picture can never be quite understood.

That’s where Wes excels.

The soft-spoken Wu graduated from Pitzer, one of the Claremont Colleges, with a degree in Economics. At the time, there were few jobs and Wu went into the traditional home for Economists…selling insurance. Like many HR luminaries, he found his way into an HR slot where he was responsible for Generalist duties and got to implement an HR System.

He worked as a national account manager at ADP for about seven years. Increasingly, he focused on improving efficiency and effectiveness in HR system installation. He moved to Towers-Perrin during the time that he began writing SystematicHR.

These days, Wes is an independent consultant on the intersection of technology and strategy. Clients line up to have him help smooth the installation and implementation process.

Wu is convinced that functionality without a solid user experience is a waste of time. “It just doesn’t get used unless the user is in the front seat.”

What’s most inspiring about Wes is the humility with which he sees his influence. “I have so much to learn”, he says. I’m just getting started.

That’s how industry giants look in the early days.